where released files are shared…

Anti Apartheid Movement – files overview

The files on the Anti Apartheid Movement presented here come from two different sources. One set was unearthed in 2005 by BBC journalist Martin Rosenbaum, who kindly agreed to share them with the Special Branch Files Project. An additional batch consists of Special Branch files from the National Archive, photographed by Guardian journalist Rob Evans.

Our selection now includes files from the years 1969-1970 and 1980-1995, covering the policing of the Stop The Seventy Tour (STST) and the protection of the Springboks, the South African Rugby team touring the UK.

Update March 2020: while previously we only had several individual documents from the file on security around the STST campaign, we have now added the full 250 pages covering Nov – Dec 1969. They appear in the overview below as files MEPO 2 11477 Part 1-5.

Further additions of files found at the National Archives (- not analysed yet):

Remember, these are only the files that the authorities chose to disclose and may only represent a small fraction of the total files held. Also, what police officers report to their superiors is not necessarily true.